Indulge your sweet tooth with a rich, creamy, delicious dessert - Kesar Elaichi Shrikhand | Matho

Shrikhand/Matho is a popular traditional Maharashtrian/Gujarati dessert recipe. The trio of hung curd, saffron, and cardamom complement so well in this creamy sweet dessert.

In Maharashtra, Shrikhand is prepared during Gudi Padwa festival and is accompanied bt delicious fluffy puris. The mango version of Shrikhand also known as Amrakhand is very much loved by everyone but my favorite is the Kesar Elaichi Shrikhand.

Let's check out the recipe of Kesar Elaichi Shrikhand.

Ingredients

1. 1 litre of fresh curd
2. 1/2 bowl powdered sugar or as per your taste
3. tsp powdered cardamom (elaichi)
4. 1 pinch of saffron strands put in warm water
5. Sliced dry fruits for garnishing
6. A pinch of salt

Servings: 2 people

Cuisine: Maharashtrian, Gujarati | Indian

Total time: 20 mins

Method:

You can check out the video recipe here -

Preparing hung curd:

1. Take 1 litre curd in a bowl.
2. On a wide container spread a muslin cloth or a cheesecloth or a thin kitchen towel, whichever you prefer.
3. Add a bowl of curd over it.
4. Bring the edges of the cloth together and tie a knot.
5. Gently press the cloth to strain away from the whey (liquid in curd).
6. Hang the cloth to a hook for 4-6 hours. I kept it for about 12 hours. Place a vessel below it to collect the whey. You can also refrigerate the curd so that it does not turn sour.

Preparing Shrikhand

1. In a wide bowl, take the hung curd.
2. Add 1/2 bowl of powdered sugar to it. You can adjust the sugar to suit your taste. I prefer less sweet.
3. Add 1 tsp of cardamom powder. This will give a nice flavor.
4. Add the saffron solution which will give a nice color.
5. Add a pinch of salt. This is my secret ingredient for all the desserts I prepare.
6. Mix it well. It should give a nice creamy texture. You may use an electric whisk if required.
7. Refrigerate it for a couple of hours.
8. Garnish it with your favorite nuts, some rose petals, and serve it chilled.

Shrikhand goes well with puris or an after-meal dessert.

Tips:

1. Use fresh curd for preparing Shirkhand otherwise, it won't taste good.
2. If you do not have time to prepare the hung curd, you can use yogurt or chakka (ready-made hung curd).
3. Add a pinch of salt while mixing the ingredients to get a nice flavor.
4. You can add a puree of strawberry, mango, chikoo to the hung curd to enjoy different versions of Shrikhand.